alan_fincher

I know that both Ted and Ken Ward died at a relatively young age, some very long time ago. I'm sure their wives, sisters Ann(e?) and Vera Wain are also some years deceased. If I recall correctly, Alice Wain, now Alice Lapworth, (regularly seen at rallies was also a sister to Ann(e?) and Vera. I think that Wain family was quite large.

I always think she was one of the most photogenic of the boating families children from the 1960s

It is almost invariably harder to find suitable engineers in London itself. AS you start to move away from London I would suggest you have more chance of finding what you want, and potentially at a more reasonable cost. Uxbridge has just been mentioned, but moving North there is P&S Marine at Cassio Bridge or Cow Roast Marine Engineering on Tring summit. And to make it look more likely that you are serious about using their services don't just email them, but pick up a phone and speak to them. This will allow you to make sure both sides know what is being asked for, and it takes them less time to talk to you than to compose an email.

Despite one of the previous answers, if it really is a Lister, and you have the correct serial number, this can often be interpreted down to an actual model number. However the number you have quoted is NOT a Lister engine serial number. As suggested it may be the individual part number for the bi of the engine on which it appears. Post a picture of the engine, and, if present, the plate on the engine carrying the details.

Coals to Newcastle? And, I think, mostly on the Thames, rather than the canals?

Welcome Tina! It is always excellent when members of working boat families appear and contribute to threads on here and I particularly enjoy it when they worked for Willow Wren, as I own a former Willow Wren boat. (So far I know Ted Ward never captained our boat, FLAMINGO, although his brother Ken most certainly did.) Published pictures show Ted and Anne Ward as having a daughter Julie, so am I right in assuming this was your sister?

No brown?

It's as valid a viewpoint as any other I guess. However purchase of Bognor gives you the hull of a full length Grand Union Canal Carrying Co motor boat. Purchase of Yarmouth gives you what was originally an ex Fellows Morton & Clayton horse boat, subsequently shortened and rebuilt at the back end to have a motor counter. Clearly thiugh Yarmouth's JP2 trounces the unsuitable engine in Bognor though. It depends what you want - there are plenty of people interested in a converted historic boat who would probably not be interested in either of these. I believe this is a price drop since I last looked -apologies if it has already been recorded. Note also that David now explicitly states that he is prepared to split the pair. Cyprus and Cedar

I don't think there has been any price change - £35K when last discussed -£35K now. A famous British monarch uttered the memorable words "Bugger Bognor" - presumably that interior was the result!

I'm certainly no fan of "Starmers lot", aka "Tory Lite", but they would have some challenge to do the same damage as was achieved in just a week or two by Truss / Kwarteng.

Just to set expectations.... The owner of a boat next to us on our moorings used Polytrol on his somewhat jaded paintwork, (steel boat). The results didn't look at all bad. Although our FLAMINGO had considerably more degraded paint, we decided to give it a try. We were completely unable to improve the look over what it was before we started. So the moral seems to be that it only works down to a particular level of damage. After a few months the boat that had prompted us to try this product also looked pretty bad, having gone patchy throughout the whole length of the oat.

If you are travelling down to Uxbridge, I would recommend that you forget about using marinas to refuel and instead make use of the excellent fuel boats. These are operated by real enthusiasts, the majority of them on that stretch trading under the umbrella of "Jules Fuels" after Julia Cooke who started the business but is herself I gather Semi-retired, (not that that stopped Jules from refuelling our two boats at Braunston recently!) Different boats ply different stretches, but whether you encounter Ryan, Nick, Andrew or anybody else you wll get first rate service, and a decent price. Keep them trading - they can often get to you in poor conditions, when you would not ant to be venturing out yourself. They deserve our support!

I can see no reference to 15mm pipe in the Morco F11E installation instructions. Can you post a link to a version that shows this?

Intriguing! I had always assmed they went straight down by the shortest route. Our Large Northwich, which has its original cabin, also has a pair of holes each side in the bottom door framing. I have the vaguest memory of the ladders having been discussed on here in the past, and maybe, (just maybe!), some pictures goy posted in the relevant thread. I'd be very interested in the original arrangements in both Large Northwich and Middle Northwich boats.

Depending on the clearances available, (which may in turn depend on the exact position of the tanks versus bulkheads), it might be impossible to fit a one piece "inverted U" to the right hand tank of a large Northwich boat - or at least not without removing the tank from the boat! Whether you screw it to the riser pipe first, or whether you screw the pipe on the tank, then attempt to add the "inverted U" to the installed pipe, you may find the "U" collides with the bulkhead ad prevents a full 360 degree rotation. I recall doing one "from bits", I had to assemble it all in a manner that was not entirely obvious at first.

Exactly so. They make climbing in and out of the engine room a bit easier. Not and original arrangement. The boats had ladders, originally, though few seem to have survived.

There is quite a long old thread here. It has discussion of tanks, fillers and vents, and also covers "small" and "middle" boats alongside "large" ("Town" class boats). There is even stuff on Royalty boats. It contains one of Steve Priest's fairly rare postings - Steve's encyclopedic knowledge of the finest details of "Grand Union" boats is second to none.

Yes - that's a goo solution for a Woolwich. But, as already alluded to, Northwich ones are a very different beast.

Correct. The lug is missing from both FLAMINGO's caps, but it has been smashed off from each, leaving a random edge on the cast iron that shows where they used to be. The vent pipes in the FLAMINGO pictures are certainly not genuine Yarwoods. I mad them up using parts from BES! Pictures of HALSALL sent to me by a previous owner. Unfortunately non show filler cap in place, but this does show clearly the hasps that would have been able to secure them and prohibit removal. It also clearly shows the lack of symmetry between the two tank tops...

Note: The unsuitable hose that was added to the right hand filler has since been removed, and the hole for it blocked up... Pictures from LETCHWORTH, (aka FLAMINGO).

I bought the British Transport Waterways roundels from the Graphics Boat. They were not a success as the colour started to wash out of them after only as short period of use. I can't say if they would fare any better for something in only black and white, but I would certainly have concerns if buying from them again

Very sad. Surely one of the best known canal characters, and a true loss. RIP Jim, and our condolences to Annie.

Which one?

As seasoned Loughborough banterers, (it is possible we have missed one of the series to date, I think, but certainly no more than that), we could well be up for this. Personally though I have enjoyed them either being in the gap between Xmas and New Year, or, depending how the days fall, actually at the New Year. Two of the last times we went we have enjoyed spending New Years Eve with fellow banterers. I wouldn't rule out an event a week or two into January, but do feel something might be lost by completely detaching from the "festive" season.

The problem that Graham explains in his initial post is even more of a problem if the oncoming boat insists on staying in the middle of the canal, but both of you are in a "2-way" tunnel!